Feast of St Augustine, Bishop of Hippo: “From the clinging muck of death”

I panted after honors, wealth, marriage — and you just laughed. These ambitions gave me nothing but trouble, made more intense by your kindness in making them bitter since they were not you. Here is my heart, Lord, you who lead me to this account and testimony, let my soul adhere to you, who extricated me from the clinging muck of death.